Russian Massage

Russian massage is a therapeutic form of massage therapy used to treat specific injuries. It's sometimes called Russian sports massage.

Massage has a long tradition in Russia. It was used in Russian folk medicine. A common practice in Russian folk medicine was twigging. Twigging involved a medicine person striking you percussively with soft dried birch branches. Then using the branches to massage you. This was usually done after a sauna.

Russians didn't start to scientifically test the effects of massage until the 1860's. Dr. M. Y. Mudrov, a doctor of internal medicine is credited with integrating massage into Russian medicine. He strongly believed that manual therapy was necessary for recovery.

During the second World War, Russia had a dwindling supply of medicine, so they started to concentrate on using massage to promote healing. This gave them the opportunity to thoroughly research the benefits of massage therapy and refine their techniques.

This type of massage uses the same strokes that are associated with Swedish massage--petrissage, effleurage, vibration, and friction--but differs from Swedish massage because it is more targeted on the specific area of injury.

The massage starts out very slowly and gently to loosen the muscles and prepare them for deeper work. This part of the massage puts the body in a state to be able to repair and heal. Then deeper, more vigorous work is used to manipulate the muscles. Finally, the massage ends with more gentle, slow work to help the body relax even further. Russian therapists believe that it is important to do the massage in this way. Each part of the massage aids in the healing process.

In Russia, massage is used in regular medical practice. Doctors prescribe massage to patients on a regular basis. The training to become a massage therapist is quite intensive. If you are not very rich and can't afford to go to a luxurious spa, the only other way to get a massage is with a prescription from your doctor.

Russian massage is used to treat a variety of disorders including, musculoskeletal imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular or neurological disorders, and gynecological problems. More specific conditions it is used to treat include:

• TMJ
• arthritis
• sprains
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• bursitis
• frozen shoulder
• constipation
• spastic colon
• colic
• immune system disorders
• stress
• anxiety

It is also used after surgery to speed up the recovery process.

This style of massage was introduced to the US in the 1980's, but it never gained popularity. Swedish massage and Oriental forms of massage like shiatsu are much more common.

Russian massage is very individualized and doesn't take a set amount of time. It can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour.